Improvement in breech-loading rifles



Patented M 25, 1858.

C. W. ALEXANDER. Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE,

C. W. ALEXANDER, OF MOOREFIELD, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING RIFLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,315, dated May 25, 1858.

To 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAS. WM. ALEXAN- DER, of Moorefield, in the county of Hardy, in the State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Method of Loading Rifle-Guns at the Breech; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a rifled cylinder, E, containing load and cap, and which is forced laterally to a point corresponding exactly with the rifled bore of thebarrel, by being introduced at the front of a revolving chamber, D, in which chamber it is kept from turning by means of the point of a screw fitting exactly into a notch in the hinder end of the cylinder E, and to which revolving chamber D is attached a lever or handle, by which it is forced to revolve, and is kept in its place by means of a spring, H.

To enable others to understand and use my invention, place the thumb of the right hand on the cock of the gun, drawing it to half-cock; then with forefinger of same hand draw back the spring H until it releases itself from the notch in the revolving chamber D; then with the fingers of the left hand grasp the handle of the revolving chamber D, and, by pulling it, cause the revolving chamber to revolve until the now released spring H catches in the second notch of revolving chamber D, when push the now freed cylinder E forward out of the revolving chamber D, and introduce another loaded cylinder E, and return revolving chamber to its original place, where the spring H will hold it secure.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the barrel, which is firmly attached to the axis 0 of the revolving chamber D, which axis 0' is screwed into the breech I, as indicated by G. F is a screw passing through the breech I, for the purpose of keeping the cylinder E tight against the end of the barrel A.

The merits of my invention are, first, accuracy of shooting, gained by using a patched ball, which my rifled cylinder enables me to do successfully without danger of stripping the patch from the ball in its passage through the barrel, as the rifles in both the barrels and cylinder correspond exactly; the patch gives the rotary motion to the ball without indenting it, and keeps the bore free from leading; secondly, facility of loading, as a number of cylinders may be carried loaded, andwhich cylinders are again loaded with facility; thirdly, no escape of gas, as the fit between the end of the cylinder E and the barrel A is perfect. Its simplicity is such that it cannot easily get out of order.

What I claim as new in my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' The replaceable rifled cylinder with its dovetail for cap, and notch for holding it in its place, in combination with the revolving chamber that bears it and holds it to its place.

CHAS; WM. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE A. BAILEY, THOMAS C. DoNN, 

